


Fate's Gift

by orphan_account



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU, Arranged Marriage, Bare Skin, Bath Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Faimly, Forced, Light Bondage, Light Dom/sub, Lightning - Freeform, Magic, Magical Tattoos, Nipple Piercings, Piercings, Sex, Slow Build, Smut, Snow, Swimming, Tattoo of Wings, Tattoos, There will be no Jane Foster, Thunder - Freeform, Winter, angry, blizzard, calm down, not yet, relationships, scared, slight - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-11-20
Packaged: 2018-04-27 07:26:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5039239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I started working on this story because I burnt myself out on Game of Thrones. I just couldn't keep writing. Hopefully, I will be posting a chapter every Friday until this story is completed, but due to personally reasons, the chapter updates may be every couple weeks instead. I hope that everyone won't give up on me though! Just from the story line that I've gotten so far, this is going to be a pretty long story - This might even turn out to be a series!! </p><p>As always, I live off the kudos and the comments, so let me know what you think! Don't be shy, I'm not going to get mad :D</p></blockquote>





	1. The Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started working on this story because I burnt myself out on Game of Thrones. I just couldn't keep writing. Hopefully, I will be posting a chapter every Friday until this story is completed, but due to personally reasons, the chapter updates may be every couple weeks instead. I hope that everyone won't give up on me though! Just from the story line that I've gotten so far, this is going to be a pretty long story - This might even turn out to be a series!! 
> 
> As always, I live off the kudos and the comments, so let me know what you think! Don't be shy, I'm not going to get mad :D

Chapter One - The Hunt

Ashlynn knelt in a bed of trampled reed grass and scanned the tracks with a practiced eye. The prints told her that the deer had been in the meadow only a half-hour before. Soon they would bed down. Her target, a small doe with a pronounced limp in her left foreleg, was still with the herd. She was amazed she had made it so far without a wolf or bear catching her.

The sky was clear and dark, and a slight breeze stirred the air. A silvery cloud drifted over the mountains that surround her, it's edges glowing with ruddy light cast from the harvest moon cradled between two peaks. Streams flowed down the mountains from stolid glaciers and glistening snow packs. A brooding mist crept over the valley's floor, almost thick enough to obscure her home far below her. It was nearly winter, closer than she would have liked, and she knew that the time to hunt was quickly coming to a close. 

Ashlynn was nineteen, less that a month from her next name day, but she appeared no larger than a child of thirteen year old. Her pale ivory skin was flushed slightly from the cold; her brilliant amethyst eyes were framed with thick lashes which brushed against her high arching eyebrows. She was only four foot eleven, but she seemed taller in the same way that dancers did, with their long necks and willowy limbs. Her clothes were worn from work. A hunting knife with a bone handle was sheathed at her belt, and buckskin tube protected his yew bow from the mist. She carried a light canvas bag which was slung over her shoulder and bounced against her hip with every step she took.

The deer had led her deep into Asgard Mountains, a range of untamed mountains that extended up and down the land of Asgard. Strange tales and men often came from those mountains, usually boding ill. Despite that Ashlynn did not fear the mountain. - she was the only hunter near Cerise who dared track game deep into its craggy recesses. 

It was the third night of the hunt, and her food was half gone. If she did not fell the doe, she would be forced to return home empty handed. Her family needed the meat for the rapidly approaching winter and could not afford to buy it in Cerise.

Ashlynn stood with quiet assurance in the dusky moonlight, then strode into the forest toward the glen where she was sure the deer would rest. The trees blocked the sky from view and cast feathery shadows on the ground. She looked at the tracks only occasionally; she knew the way.

At the glen, she strung her bow with a sure touch, then drew three arrows and nocked one, holding the others in her left hand. The moonlight revealed twenty or so motionless lumps where the deer lay in the grass. The doe she wanted was at the edge of the herd, her left foreleg stretched out awkwardly. 

Ashlynn slowly crept closer, keeping the bow ready. All her work of the past three days had led to this moment. She took a last steadying breath and let the arrow fly. Before the deer could react, the arrow pierced the does skull, felling her instantly.

The herd bolted. Ashlynn lunged forward, racing through the grass as a chilled breeze surged past her cheek. She slid to a stop and loosed an second arrow at the larger of the bucks. It missed by a finger's breadth and hissed into the darkness. She cursed and spun around, instinctively knocking another arrow.

Behind her, where the doe had fallen, all was quiet. Ashlynn watched for danger for several long minutes, but the only thing that moved was the mist. Cautiously, she released the tension from her bow and moved forward. Moonlight cast him in pale shadow as she stopped before the deer, dropping her things to the ground in a heap.

She knew that she needed to dress the deer quickly, before any other wildlife began to poke around, searching for the scent of blood. It was a danger she was well aware of, and one that she had needed to handle on more than one occasion.

When she had finished, and tucked the meat into her pack, she stood with a yawn and stretched . The glen was too exposed to make a safe camp, so she slipped back into the forest and spread her bedroll beneath the upturned roots of a fallen tree. After a cold dinner of bread and cheese, she wrapped herself in a thin, overly worn blanket and fell asleep.


	2. Marna Valley

Chapter Two - Marna Valley

The sun rose the next morning with a glorious conflagration of pink and yellow. The air was fresh, sweet, and very cold. Ice edged the streams, and small pools were completely frozen over. After a breakfast of porridge, Ashlynn started for home. 

The rough game trail was faintly worn and, in places, nonexistent. Because it had been forged by animals, it often back-tracked and took long detours. Yet for all its flaws, it was the fastest way out of the mountains.

The mountains was one of the few places Ashlynn felt at home. Though the trees grew tall and the sky shone brightly, few people could stay in the mountains for long without suffering an accident. Ashlynn was one of those people - not through any particular gift, it seemed to her, but because of persistent vigilance and sharp reflexes. She had hiked in the mountains for years, yet she was still weary of them. Every time she thought they had surrendered their secrets, something happened to upset her understanding of them.

She kept up a brisk pace, and the leagues steadily disappeared. In late evening she arrived at the edge of a precipitous ravine. The Palan River rushed by far below, heading to Marna Valley. Gorged with hundreds of tiny streams, the river was a brute force, battling against the rocks and boulders that barred its way. A low rumble filled the air.

She camped in a thicket near the ravine and watched the moon rise before going to bed. 

 

It grew colder over the next day and a half. Ashlynn traveled as quickly as she dared and saw little of the wary wildlife. A bit past noon, she heard the Palan Falls blanketing everything with the dull sound of a thousand splashes. The trail led her onto a moist slate outcropping, which the river sped past, flinging itself into empty air and down mossy cliffs.

Before her lay Marna Valley, exposed like an unrolled map. The base of the Palan Falls, more than a mile below, was the northernmost point of the valley. A little ways from the falls was Anora, a cluster of brown buildings. White smoke rose from the chimneys, defiant of the wilderness around it. At this height, farms were small square patches no bigger than the end of her finger. The land around them was tan or sandy, where dead grass swayed in the wind. The Palan River wound from the falls toward Marna's southern end, reflecting great strips of sunlight. Far in the distance it flowed past the village Cirthri and the lonely mountains beyond. 

After a pause, Ashlynn left the outcropping and started down the trail, grimacing at the descent. When she arrived at the bottom, soft dusk was creeping over the everything, blurring colors and shapes into gray masses. Anora's lights shimmered nearby in the twilight; the houses casting long shadows along the ground. Aside from Cirthri, Anora was the only village in Marna Valley. The settlement was secluded and surrounded by harsh, beautiful land. Few traveled here except merchants and trappers. 

The village was composed of stout log buildings with low roofs - some thatched, others shingled. Smoke billowed from the chimneys, giving the air a woody smell. The buildings had wide porches where people gathered to talk and conduct business. Occasionally a window brightened as a candle or a lamp was lit. Ashlynn heard men talking loudly in the evening air while wives scurried to fetch their husbands, scolding them for being late.

Ashlynn wove her way between the houses to the trail that would take her home. The meat slowed her don, but she was eager to be home, and renewed vigor filled her steps. The village ended abruptly, and she left its warm lights behind. The pearlescent moon peeked over the mountains, bathing the land in a ghostly reflection of daylight. Everything looked bleached and flat. 

Near the end of her journey, she turned off the trail, which continued south. A simple path led straight through waist high grass and up a knoll, almost hidden by the shadows of protective elm trees. She crested the hill and saw a single light shining from her home.

The house had a shingled roof and a brick chimney. Eaves hung over the whitewashed walls, shadowing the ground below. One side of the enclosed porch was filled with spilt wood, ready for the fire. A jumble of farmers tools cluttered the other side. 

The house had been abandoned for half a century when they moved in after Joed's wife, Ellen, died. it was twelve miles from Anora, farther than anyone else's. People considered the distance dangerous because the family could not rely on help from the village in times of trouble, but Ashlynn's Uncle would not listen. 

A hundred feet from the house, in a dull colored bard, lived two horses - Liah and Storm - with chickens and a cow. Sometimes there was also a pig, but they had been unable to afford one this year. A wagon sat wedged between the stalls. On the edge of their fields, a thick line of trees traced along the Palan River.

She saw the light move behind a window as she wearily reached the porch. "Uncle, it's Ashlynn. Let me in." A small shutter slid back for a second, then the door swung inward.

Joed stood with his hand on the door. His worn clothes hung on him like rags on a stick frame. A lean, hungry face with intense eyes gazed out from under graying hair. He looked like a man who had been partly mummified before it was discovered he was still alive. "You're late." He slurred, his face cross.

A lantern flickered on a wooden table so old that the grain stood up in tiny ridges light a giant fingerprint. Near a wood stove were rows of cooking utensils tacked onto the wall with homemade nails. A second door opened to the rest of the house. The floor was made of boards polished smooth by years of tramping feet.

Ashlynn pulled off her pack and took out the meat. Joed's mouth twisted as he watched his niece. "What's this? The mighty hunter joins the rest of us mortals? How many did you bag this time?"

"One." Was Ashlynn's curt reply. She had never liked her uncle. He always treated her with disdain, as if she were something unclean. She had no where to go though, no one to turn to.

"I'm amazed." Said Joed with affected astonishment. "And what will we eat during the winter? Should we go to the town and attempt to buy meat? Perhaps we should beg for our food. I we can't feed ourselves, we might as well move into town. Before you can turn twice, they'll be sending us used clothes and asking if we can get through the winter." Joed's face paled with anger.

"I'll catch more!" Snapped Ashlynn. "It's not so close to the winter that we should have to worry yet." 

"And where will you get the time to hunt again? Are you going to ignore all the things that need to be done here?" Asked Joed, his voice raising.

Ashlynn hung her bow and quiver on hooks beside the front door. "I don't know how I'll do it." She said irritably.

Her uncle stared at her hard for a moment before huffing out a alcohol laced breath. "How was the weather?" Asked Joed, lifting a nearly empty bottle of wine to his lips.

"Cold." Was Ashlynn's reply. "It didn't snow, but it froze each night."

Joed looked worried by the news. "Tomorrow you'll finish harvesting the barley. Finish it all while you're at it. Leave nothing behind." He drew the bottle to his lips once more and, realizing that it was empty, lowered it to the table with a thud. 

"It's nice to be back." Ashlynn mumbled, stumbling to her room. She shut the door behind her quietly, than moved the chair in front of it, something to block her uncle from entering in his drunken stupor, then she fell onto the mattress. Home. For the first time since the hunt, she relaxed completely as sleep overtook her.

The sun was cold and pale, providing little comfort. Under its watchful eye, the last of the barley was stored in the barn. Next, Ashlynn gathered prickly veined squash, then the rutabagas, beets, peas, turnips, and beans, which she packed into the root cellar. After hours of labor, she stretched her cramped muscles, pleased that the harvest was finished, despite having no help from her uncle.

The following days were spend pickling, salting, shelling, and preparing the food for winter. 

And such was the days spent in her uncles home.


	3. The Ball

Chapter Three - The Ball

At dawn the sun's rays streamed through the window, warming Ashlynn's face. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up on the edge of the bed. The pine floor was cold beneath her feet. She stretched her sore legs and rubbed her back, yawning.

Beside the bed was a row of shelves covered with objects she had collected. There were twisted pieces of wood, odd bits of shells, rocks that had broken to reveal shiny interiors, and strips of dry grass tied to resemble dolls. Her favorite item was a small hunk of jewel which matched her eyes perfectly, reflecting with the same golden purple light. The rest of the room was bare, except for a small dresser and nightstand.

She pulled on her boots and stared at the floor, thinking. This was a special day. It was near this very hour, nineteen years before, that her mother, Sarina, had come home to Marna Valley along and pregnant. She had been gone for years, no one was truly sure where she had gone. Wen she returned, she was as thin as a skeleton, and twice as frightening. She had sought out her sister, Ellen, and asked to stay with her until the baby arrived. Within a month her daughter was born. Everyone was shocked when Sarina begged Ellen and Joed to raise her. When they asked why, she had only wept and said, "I must." Her pleas had grown increasingly desperate until they finally agreed. She'd named her Ashlynn, then departed early the next morning, never to be seen again.

Ashlynn still remembered how she had felt when Ellen had told her the story before she died. The realization that Joed and Ellen were not her real parents had disturbed her greatly. Things that had been permanent and unquestionable were suddenly thrown into doubt. Eventually, she learned to live with it, but she always had the nagging suspicion that she had not been good enough for her mother. 'I'm sure that there was a good reason for her leaving me behind.' Ashlynn though sadly. I only wish that I knew what it was.'

She sighed and went to the nightstand, where she splashed her face, shivering as the water ran down her neck. Refreshed, she wondered into the kitchen, eager to get her day on with. Joed was already there, eating chicken. As Ashlynn entered, her uncle grunted.

"Open that and get dressed." 

In hindsight, she should have known that something was wrong when she opened the box and was greeted by a beautiful gown. It was a beautiful silken thing, a rich crimson color that didn't match her coloring, necessarily, but would cause her stand out in a way. There were intricate designs embroidered in gold thread along the bodice, and the caught the light as she lifted the dress in awe. It was soft and beautiful, unlike anything that she had every owned before, and that should have been a clue.

Her clothes were cheap and at this point more patch than original fabric, and there was a reason for that. Her uncle was cheap, and he only spent what he absolutely had to - and certainly never on anyone but himself. 

At that moment a sharp knock broke Ashlynn's train of thought, and she turned to stare at the door in shock. No one ever came to the house.

"You might as well get that." Her uncle slurred.

Three men and a woman stood on the porch, their clothes bearing the crest of the royal family. At first Ashlynn thought that they had come for her uncle. But then the woman caught her eye and gazed at her with such a pitying expression, Ashlynn knew that they were there for her.

"Are you ready?" The woman asked. Upon Ashlynn's bewildered expression, she elaborated. "We are here to escort you the Ball. Are you ready?"

The pleading look Ashlynn sent her uncle did nothing, as he refused to even look at her. He handed the box containing the cursed gown to the lady, and two of the men moved forward to grip her arms firmly. They led her to a waiting carriage outside without a word, ignoring her weak protests. 

Ashlynn knew that protesting would do her little good, and trying to escape would result in nothing more than her hurting later on. So, as they gently pushed her into the carriage, she quieted and ducked her head down, falling heavily onto the plush, velveteen seat. 

In the past, "the ball" was the polite term that families used when their daughters were kidnapped and forced into harems at the palace. Those girls would ever return to their families, instead, they would serve as whores for the king or the prince, or even any visitors to whom the royals granted permission. When they grew too old, or were tired of, or when they fell pregnant, they were either turned into palace servants or simply killed to prevent a bastard from interfering with a rightful heir. 

Ashlynn knew that the balls were supposedly more civilized, but the outcome was the same. Now, many girls were invited to the palace for dinner and dancing before the king or the princes' selected his favorites. It was viewed as an honor now, and many girls grew up believing that it was. Ashlynn had never been one of them. She had always told herself that she was too poor, too plain, to stupid to ever be summoned. 

Of course, she knew that her Uncle would be handsomely rewarded if her company was . . . desired, which explained the gamble that Joed had taken on buying a gown so expensive.

Sighing, Ashlynn settled back against the plush cushions of the carriage and tried to ignore both the weight of the box in her lap and the churning in her stomach. It would be mortifying to vomit in the royal carriage.

"You were not told that he had offered your presence." It wasn't a question, not really. The woman sounded sympathetic, As though she had any idea what Ashlynn was feeling. 

"No, m'lady. But I . . . accept . . . my summons gratefully." The words tasted sour in her mouth and for a moment she stared at her hands, blinking back tears of frustration. Suddenly, she realized what she had said. "What do you mean, he offered my presence?"

"You're Uncle sent a messenger to the palace the moment word of the ball began to spread. He wanted to offer you for the choosing, and if you were not chosen, then he said to keep you as a servant." The women seemed to be uncomfortable.

"That son of a hearth-fire idiot. He had no right! He should have asked! I'm going to kill him!" Ashlynn ragged, her face burning red from her anger. 

Ashlynn was still raging by the time the second girl was picked up, and still when the third and fourth, but, soon, there were half a dozen other girls in the carriage, all giggling and jabbering excitedly about the ball and their chances of being selected. It was easy to fade into the background of such a din, but it was impossible to forget where she was going.

 

By the time the carriage arrived at the palace, the small room the guards herded the girls into the bath and change was already filled with girls and their things. Thankfully, she was able to find an empty tub and stripped quickly. The tub was full with hot water brought up from the kitchen and scented with fragrant oils. An old woman came forward and washed her long, dark hair and gently combed out the snags, all in silence. A second woman scrubbed her back and feet and told her how lucky she was, but Ashlynn blocked her voice.

When she was clean, the servants helped her from the water and toweled her dry. The older of the two women brushed her hair until it shone like liquid chocolate, while the younger anointed her with a sweet flower perfume, a dab on each wrist, behind her ears, on the tips of her breasts, and one last one, cool on her lips, down between her legs. They dressed her in the gown that she had been sent with, tying her into the dress expertly while Ashlynn gasped for breath. The last thing to be done nearly sent Ashlynn to her knees.

The older of the two women, quickly pulled down her bodice and, before she could protest, slid a long, hollow needle through her left nipple, quickly followed by a heavy golden ring that melded together once the two tips were touched together, effective keeping Ashlynn from removing them. The same was done to her right nipple and then the bodice was pulled up and the woman looked down at Ashlynn with a slight smile of remorse.

Ashlynn was just about to begin raging once again when a guard came forward and announced that it was time to line up at the entrance. 

In any other situation, Ashlynn might have been in awe of the ballroom, might have had her breath taken away, but as things were, she could barely stand to look at her surroundings. The royal family sat at the front of the room, and as each girl passed them, she fell in a deep curtsy. 

The King and Queen watched benignly, royal smiles fixed firmly on their faces as each girl passed them.

Loki was gazing on with what seemed to be annoyance, his mouth sat in a firm line, and his eyes shadowed, while Thor smiled kindly and nodded reassuringly to the girls, although non noticed as they kept their eyes firmly on the ground before them. 

A girl, Siva, nudged Ashlynn's arm excitedly from her place to her left. "He's looking at us!" She whispered, and stood up straighter to try and look older. 

Ashlynn shook her head when she realized that she spoke of Thor. "No, he's looking at you. You're much to beautiful for him to not notice." 

She giggled and took her turn in front of the royals, which left Ashlynn with the uncomfortable realization that Prince Thor was, in fact, looking right at her. Face pale, she took her turn and attempted a curtsied, but it ended somewhere between a bow, and a curtsy sending a courses of giggles through the ball room at her experience. 

Ashlynn felt her body stiffen as she stood up and she glared daringly across the room, seeking out the ones laughing and holding them under her gaze until they fell silent.

Finally, she was allowed to join the rest of the girls at the side of the room before the ball was announced officially open. Siva giggled about the way Thor had been unable to tear his eyes away from her, but Ashlynn did her best to steer her away from the topic each time.

Avoid the princes, as it turned out, was easy. There was always a sudden flurry of activity before he would appear, giving Ashlynn time to melt into the crowed, hurrying away in the opposite direction. Many times she thought she could feel a warm stare on her back as she walked away, other times cold, but when she turned to search the crowd, she only saw guests. 

The night past quickly, and she knew that dawn would be approaching soon by the light grey tone of the sky. It had been the better part of an hour since she had last seen either of the princes and so Ashlynn decided to duck out onto the balcony. There were fewer girls out in the cool night air, but the breeze stirred through her hair gently, blowing over her skin in a refreshing manor. Running from the two royals were exhausting, but, below, she should see the carriages lining up to take the guests home. Ashlynn let a sigh pass her lips

She knew that her uncle had sold her to be a servant if she was not chosen, but she was sure that she would be able to slip away quietly, with no one the wiser. Her uncle would be livid that his money had been wasted, and surely if she was ever caught she would be made to bear the brunt of that anger, his and the kings perhaps, but it was still the safer option than being one of the princes whores. Her stomach growled dangerously loud, reminding her that she had eaten nothing that day but a small piece of chicken at her uncles table.

"Are you enjoying the night, my lady?" The voice was low in her ear and as rich as honey poured over two grinding boulders. Ashlynn had only heard it a handful of times before, but she recognized it immediately and her heart sank. The prince. Thor.

Ashlynn spun on her heel and was taken aback by how close the prince stood to her. Only a few inches separated the two, and she could swear that she could feel the heat of his body seeping through her dress. His eyes were a glowing blue, reflecting the lights from the ballroom and the sky, and they were trained, unblinking and with far too much interest, on her. It was hard to breath. Cursing herself, Ashlynn nodded her head slightly, knowing that a curtsy would not be possible due to the lack of space between the two. 

"I am no lady, my Lord. I am merely a hunter from a village." Ashlynn hopped that if he knew how far beneath him she was, that he would be less likely to bother her. She knew her dress would make a hard case for her family's poverty, though. 

He smiled a bit and lifted her hand to his lips, never taking his eyes away from hers. "You are breathtaking in my colors, my lady." It was his only reply, but it said enough. "Dance with me." 

It was not a request, and, even if it had been, it would have been unwise to refuse. So Ashlynn allowed the prince to lead her back into the ballroom, let him put his hands on her hips and pull her close. Too close. He was a easy dancer though, and so light on his feet that he seemed to be floating, despite his size. By comparison, Ashlynn felt as if she were as graceful as a dying goat. She was able to follow along, but it was nowhere near as smooth as the princes easy steps. Instead of frustration at her gracelessness, he seemed to be only amused. A hint of a smile hovered near his lips, but it did not seem to be mocking. 

Ashlynn lowered her gaze and realized that her dancing with the prince had gain the attention of many; jealous stares even from other girls in scarlet. After all, she had the undivided attention of a prince. 'If only they knew I would give it up in a heart beat.' Ashlynn though ruefully. 

The song drew to a close, and then a second, and a third and still the prince continued to pull her closer. Occasionally he lowered his head and allowed his lips to graze the skin of her neck, her cheek, moving closer to her lips each time. When he finally moved in to kiss her, Ashlynn felt her spine stiffen, and she would have pulled away if his arms had not been locked around her body.

There was a moment of studded silence as he processed what had happened, and then his face broken into a grin so bright it could have challenged the sun. 

"Any other woman in the room would be glad to suffer through a kiss from me, yet you, who came wearing my colors have run from me at every opportunity and recoiled from me as if I have venomous fangs." He laughed, gesturing to someone in the crowed, and for the second time that day, Ashlynn found herself flanked by guards. "Take her." He said. "I've made my decision." 

The guards led Ashlynn from the room, and she concentrated mesmerizing the turns of the halls they led her down, wanting to know what directions she needed to go when she escaped. For now though, it was best to accept her fate silently and without a struggle, let them think that she was docile.

The guards led Ashlynn to a large room full of dark furniture, with a fireplace burning brightly and a window seat cut into the stone walls, but not much else. It was not a prison cell, but neither was it a room that Ashlynn would have imagined for a palace whore. 

The guards left, and locked the door, leaving Ashlynn with the startling fact that she was trapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shew, that was a long one, eh? Hopefully I can keep cranking them out in that length, but only time is going to tell. A lot has happened in this chapter and we finally got a look at Thor for the first time. I just hope that he's going to fulfill the role properly.


	4. Innocence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, a Friday update for all the lovelies who've read this! I love to see that so many people have taken an interest in this story, despite the fact it seems to be going nowhere rather quickly. The story-line is going to be slow, at least for a long while, and I'm sorry for that, but once everything picks up, it's going to pick up in a big way!

Chapter Four - Innocence 

The first thing Ashlynn noticed was that she was warm, her cheek was pressed against a soft fabric, and her hands were cradled under a pillow. She had slept lightly, every sound rousing her, and she had lay there: staring with wide eyes into the darkness. Twice she had dreamed that the prince was there, once sitting in a stool and watching her intently and once stroking her face with rough, calloused hands. Each time she had ripped herself from her sleep with a sob and the dream had disappeared.

With a sigh, missing the familiar weight of her bow on her shoulder, she lurched to the window seat in the wall. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the bright light outside. The sky was clear, cloudless and full of bleak winter warmth. After crawling into the seat, pushing aside the plush velvet pillows covering the stone, she pulled her knees to her chest and stared out the window. She was still dressed in the same gown she had worn the night before, unwilling to undress.

A servant pushed open the door then, and when she saw Ashlynn sitting awake she smiled widely. "My lady, your breakfast is on the try by your bed, and someone will be in shortly with some clothing for you." Another smile. "Everyone is talking about last night." She didn't stop smiling as she prodded the dying fire and carefully brought the embers to a warm, gentle glow once more.

Ashlynn cringed, and swung her feet to the floor. The sight of the food was enough to shock her: fired meats, eggs, a variety of sliced fruits, and a mug of steaming liquid that smelled faintly of mint. After avoiding the food at the ball last night, she was starving, but she touched nothing. She couldn't trust it. Something was guaranteed to be drugged. It had to be a trick, a punishment. She turned from the tray and faced the servant. 

"Am I in a lot of trouble?" Honestly though, the amount of trouble was irrelevant. It was the consequences that she knew she should worry about. 

"I'm sure that I don't know what you're talking about, m'lady. I'm nothing more than a kitchen girl." She shrugged apologetically. "I should go. Someone will come to collect your tray soon." 

And with that, she disappeared back through the door. She was careful to lock it behind her, and Ashlynn frowned. She was sure that she would be caught almost immediately, and the punishment would become even more severe, but she wanted nothing more than the chance to run from her bedchambers and escape the palace. She sank back into the window seat and fought back tears of frustration. 

As promised, a woman came through the door some time later, her face age-worn but still bright. Her arms were full of dresses. She regarded the heaping tray with a disapproving look and a click of her tongue. "You should eat, m'lady. We can't allow you to starve." 

"I ate to much at the ball last night. I'm not hungry this morning." The lie was unconvincing, but she said it anyway. The elder shook her head and spread the dress out on the bed. She eyed Ashlynn thoughtfully before choosing one from the pile and held it out before her. It was silk, much like the gown that she already wore, but it was clearly a much finer quality. There were tiny gems sewn into the neckline and trails of them flowed down the full skirts. It was, of course, a rich crimson.

"The prince will love you in this." 

"No." Ashlynn snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's hardly my main concern." For all the world, she knew that she sounded like a sulking child, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

The woman frowned. "It should be, m'lade. Don't you have any idea what an honor being chosen is? All the girls in attendance last night, swooning for his attention, and he picks this one." She scoffed, before pointing to a door that Ashlynn had not noticed yet. "We can't make you eat, but we can make you wash. Into the tub. You're not coming out of there until you're clean. And you'll only have so much hot water, so don't sit there pouting." She pointed once more before walking out the room, locking it behind her without a thought.

Ashlynn wasted no time in washing, and when she finished, she dried and re-dressed before stepping back into her empty room. She knew that her gown was beginning to wrinkle, loosing it's crisp look of refinement, but she cared little. Her nipples were swollen and sore from the heavy rings that had been slipped through them. The breakfast tray had been taken away, and another left in its place. There was a bowl of rich soup and several large rolls, as well as another mug of steaming liquid.

Once again, she touched none of it, although Ashlynn's stomach was beginning to rebel at the scent of the food. It was more dangerous to risk a poison or a potion, more so than starving to death. At least that way, she knew she would be spared the shame that was bound to come. She gave the tray a last, longing look, and then went to sit at the window once more. The view was that of the grounds, and the window might have been large enough to attempt an escape, if she wasn't as high as the clouds themselves. Peering at the ground might have made her feel sick, if it wasn't for the fact that the mountains that rose high above her old home.

As the evening drew close the elderly servant came to collect her tray once more and, seeing that it had not been touched, rolled her eyes. "There are people in this palace who haven't seen food like this in a long time, m'lady, who would love even a scrap of it."

"Then take it to them." Ashlynn said tiredly, her eyes nearly shut. "I'm not going to eat anything that's brought." 

The woman scoffed and shook her head. "You're not going anywhere, girl. The prince has made his decision, and you're going to have to learn to live with it." 

Ashlynn choose not to reply and instead sat in stony silence, causing the servant to leave, muttering. She didn't even bother looking at the new tray. Her will was stronger than her achingly empty stomach. 

Ashlynn went to bed early that night, earlier even that she had as a child, and all the while she dreamed of him. He stood at the foot of her bed, drinking in her form through half lidded eyes, regarding her thoughtfully. She thought that she woke twice but each time the dream flickered but held.

 

The second day past much like the first and she found herself falling into a silent routine with the woman who brought her the trays. By lunch the servants had stopped trying to make her heat, which was fortunate since Ashlynn's resolve was growing as weak as her body. It wasn't as though she was doing hard labor, but the lack of nutrition was beginning to give her dizzy spells. 

Still, Ashlynn resisted.

She had spent many winter days without food many times before, when the preserves in the cellar had run out and there was no animals to hunt. She knew that the dizzy spells would grow more frequent, but the pangs in her stomach would slowly subside.

The day ended and night fell, and Ashlynn found herself sitting in the window seat once again, doing her best to ignore the tray going cold, when the door burst open and the prince himself walked through the door. Heart racing, Ashlynn jumped to her feet, but immediately found herself stumbling forward, her head spinning. The room was spinning. 

"Why haven't you ate?" Thor roared, his eyes narrowed from anger. 

Ashlynn said nothing. Instead, she raised her chin, desperately trying to avoid falling. She had nothing she wanted to say to the prince, and anything she did want to say would likely get her in trouble. 

The prince stalked closer, and Ashlynn could see that he was tense, his fists clenched at his sides. She wondered absently if the prince beat his whores, but quickly realized that she didn't care. He was close, and she cold fell his breath on her face, warm and scented like spices. "I can make you eat. I could have you tied down and force it down your throat." 

Ashlynn wavered for a moment, then shrugged. "Then do it." 

Her voice was weak, wavering, soft despite the anger she wanted to project, and her pulse throbbed painfully at her temples. 

Thor growled, his eyes narrowing. His hands shot out then, as if her were going to slap her, but at the last minute, he cupped her cheeks tenderly. His voice, though, was tight, belaying his anger. "I am trying very hard to keep my temper, and if you have ever heard anything about me, than you should know that I rarely do such things. Think about this logically, little bird. What would happen if I allowed a guest under my protection to starve while even the lowest servant went to bed each night sated?"

"A guest?" Ashlynn laughed, the sound as dry and rasping as a dead tree branch brushing against a glass panel. Through the window, she could hear a storm gathering heart. "I am not a guest. I'm here so that I can be your personal whore. I matter to no one, and if I die, then no one will think twice." 

Thor stood quietly for a moment before he seemed to explode into action. One thick, golden tanned arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her into the air even as he moved to press her against the wall. He watched with a quiet anger as she tried to twist from his grasp, although she was to weak to do more than scratch feebly at his arms. "That is the second time that you've tired to correct me." He stated softly, watching her closely. "What make you think that you know better than your prince?"

Ashlynn stopped twisting and glared up at the man above her. "Am I wrong?"

Thor scoffed. "If you want to be a whore, I could arrange that. Is that what you want?"

"No!" Ashlynn gasped the word before she could think, her eyes brimming over with tears, burning with shame from her situation and her lack of ability to control it. "Please. No." 

The prince seemed to sigh then, his hand coming forward to caress her cheek once more. "No, of course it's not." There was little anger left his voice, but Ashlynn couldn't help but to flinch as he spoke. "Look at me." 

Ashlynn shook her head, eyes closed tightly as she tried to imagine herself any other place than where she was at the moment. 

"Look at me, little bird." The prince commanded, lifting her chin with a finger. Ashlynn found herself opening at his words, gazing at him through blurring tears. "Such innocence." He whispered, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead. "Go and wash your face. Make yourself presentable. I will call for a warm meal and we will eat together so that I do not have to worry about you wasting away before my eyes." With that, the prince released her and moved away, watching carefully as she quickly scurried to the washroom to splash cold water over her face. "Don't fear me, little bird."

But Ashlynn did not hear him, nor would she have listened if she had.


	5. Dinner With The Prince

Chapter Five - Dinner With The Prince

When Ashlynn finished composing herself - splashing cold water over her face, fixing her hair, smoothing out her now wrinkled and well worn gown - and stepped out into the bedchamber again, there was a new assortment of food waiting by the door. True to his word, the prince was there was well. 

He bowed slightly when he noticed Ashlynn standing at the washroom door, and indicated that she should sit across from him at the small table laden with food. The prince seemed to understand her misgivings and took her hand as she sat. 

"What can I do to put you more at ease here, little bird?" His voice held no trace of the anger from before, and Ashlynn ventured a look at his face. He seemed earnest, though that meant little to her. 

"Let me go home." Even while voicing her plea out loud, Ashlynn knew that it was pointless.

The prince seemed uncomfortable for a moment, then sighed. "As well as I would like to grant your request, there is little that I can do for you in that regard. Is there nothing else that you desire." 

"Other than the chance to stab my uncle for being a no account, lice riddled, son of a she-wolf? Not really." Ashlynn spoke to her lap more than she did to the prince before her, her face red with long built anger. 

He laughed then, and it was something akin to the warmth of a summer breeze. "And why is he such a man?"

Ashlynn met the princes eyes, and he was shocked to see the level and anger radiating from her very pores. "He sold me to be chosen like cattle during the ball. If I wasn't chosen, then I was to be used a servant."

Thor sat quietly for a moment before nodding. "I suppose that would create rather harsh feelings."

"You suppose?" Ashlynn scoffed, rolling her eyes. 

"Yes, I do." The prince smiled before adding. "Eat."

Ashlynn sighed, than began to eat, chewing slowly, and without speaking. It seemed to suit the prince just as well, as he made no further attempts at a conversation. When she could eat no more - much less than the prince would have liked it seemed - she pushed her plate away and yawned quietly, attempting to fight the drowsiness that had come along with the overly rich food. She would not allow herself to fall asleep with the prince in the room. She knew that it would be both rude, and stupid, and she was simply not going to allow herself to do it. 

"Why have you not changed your gown?" Thor asked, an eyebrow raised. "I've sent dresses to you, but the servants say that you've refused them."

"I want nothing of yours." Ashlynn stated simply, taking a deep sip from her glass of water.

"Your cheeks are flushed as if with a blush, yet your skin seems nearly silver." The prince wondered out loud. "It pleases me to see you in better health already." His voice was soft, non-threatening, and the strangeness of hearing it made Ashlynn look up in surprise.

"I . . . Thank you, my lord. The food was wonderful, and I appreciate your company." Ashlynn whispered . 

"Liar." Ashlynn's head jerked up as soon as she processed his word. At the very least, she told herself, he didn't sound upset or offended. Indeed, he seemed to be amused. "You just lied to your prince. It doesn't take a fool to see that I make you uncomfortable." 

Ashlynn forced herself to meet his eyes, and saw that he was still smiling, with no anger in his eyes. 

"Alright then. I would much rather you leave me in peace." Ashlynn smirked, her eyes showing the truth of her words. "You also frighten me. I don't understand why, out of all the girls, who had to choose me." 

The prince seemed to accept her admission with grace. "Naturally. But I hope that your feelings will pass as you begin to realize that I mean you no harm." 

Ashlynn desperately wanted to say that she would never stop wanting to leave, but she held her tongue instead. 

"Tell me of your village. I visit your land so rarely. What is your family like?" The prince asked suddenly, his eyes bright with true curiosity as he took her hand and drew it to his cheek.

"I know little of my mother, and next to nothing of my father." Ashlynn's expression became thoughtful, and she continued her story quickly. "When I was eight years of age, my aunt died. Before hand, she explained that, while her and my uncle had raised me, they were not my true parents. Since my birth, no one has seen my mother, and when she was near, she never spoke of my father." It still stung her as she spoke of her abandonment, but she moved froward smoothly. "I tried to tell you at the ball, my lord, that there were many other ladies of higher status and who were thus more worthy of your time, but I fear that you didn't understand my meaning. I hope that you were able to select at least a few others of better breeding than myself." 

A cloud past over the princes face then, one that Ashlynn did not understand, but he did not release her hand. "Go on." He murmured against her palm.

"That's the whole of it, truly. My life has been uneventful. I learned to hunt from a boy in the village, something that I had to do to keep myself and my uncle in meat after my aunt died. I worked the farm, hunted when I could. I would occasionally work in the village as a barmaid or a cook."

"And that has been your whole life, then?" The prince asked, his voice sounding strange. Ashlynn smiled internally, hoping that he was beginning to realize what a mistake his choosing her had been. She was clearly nothing more than a simple village girl wrapped in a beautiful gown. All she could do was hope that he would not resent her for the trickery and do something terrible to her. "You've learned nothing more during your life, nothing much farming and cooking and hunting?"

Ashlynn frowned for a moment, insulted by his assumption. "No . . ." She shifted in her seat a moment, uncomfortable. "I know how to read, my lord. I thought myself to read, and enjoyed it when ever I was able to find the time. I also know my numbers and am fairly capable when doing math." She said, proud that she was able to say that she was nod a dull and uneducated village girl. "I will never be comfortable at a formal dinner or know how to dance like a lady, but I have that, at least." 

The princes eyes rested heavily on her face, but she refused to break the gaze first, despite the fact that her cheeks were burning. 'Surely,' She though ruefully, 'he has better things to do than sit with me and listen to my stories.' At the very least he had to have other women waiting anxiously for his attention, ready and willing to give him pleasures. But there he sat, completely focused on Ashlynn as if she were some kind of intriguing puzzle. 

"Come here." The prince said finally while indicating the space next to his chair. "I would like for you to come to me." 

Ashlynn felt her heard sped up almost immediately, knocking against her ribs in a way that made her feel dizzy once again. But as the prince had already shown, she was not to disobey him. Rising on numb and unsteady legs, Ashlynn carefully approached the prince. He remained seating, which made Ashlynn tower over him in a way that made her uncomfortable, but she wasn't going to allow the prince to know that. 

Sighing, the prince threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her close, until she stumbled and ended with her sitting in his lap. Closing her eyes, Ashlynn felt her body tense, but did not protest when she sensed the prince moving closer. It took a moment to realize that his lips, warm and slightly chapped, were on her forehead, not her lips. One hand slid around to the back of her head, holding her in place, and the two remained that way for what felt like a very long time, not moving, not speaking, just sitting touching.

Finally, he dragged himself away from her, only to replace his lips with is forehead. Ashlynn was only just beginning to relax, her eyes fluttering shut from sleep rather than to avoid looking at the prince, when she felt the prince tighten his finger s in his hair. He was gripping the strands, tugging just enough to be felt but no enough to cause any pain. A sharp puff of air rushed past her lips and she tired to keep from fighting him, her eyes opening wide from shock.

"You are perfectly worthy of my time." His voice low. "And I will not hear anything to the contrary, am I understood." 

Ashlynn nodded as well as she was able without pulling her hair painfully and stared up at the prince with wide eyes. 

"I desire you. I chose you; you from all the other women present at the ball and only you. Even if you do not understand my choices, I expect that you will, at the very least, trust my judgement as your lord and prince. In return, I will make sure that you understand why you were chosen." His touch slackened back into a gentle caress, and he brushed a thumb across her lower lip. "Will you fight me if I kiss you now?" 

Her body, which had only just begun to settle, began to tense quickly again. It was one thing to allow him to hold her, but now she was expected to allow him to kiss her, to not fight. While the girls in the village had been giggling and kissing boys behind buildings, she had been reading. She didn't even know how to kiss a man. But she did not want to spoil the uneasy agreement between herself and the prince.

But the prince only smiled and drew back. "Your poor heart. Are you still frightened?"

"I . . . I have not . . . I mean to say . . ." Ashlynn wanted nothing more than to cover her face, which was burning with embarrassment. Girls in her village were expected to remain pure for their husbands, of course, but at your age if was typical to have at least kissed a man.

But the prince was smiling. He was smiling against her mouth, and laughed softly before standing quickly, still holding her tightly to his chest. "I thank you for telling me, my lady, and know that should you say no, at any time, I will not push my advance. As for now, I think, you should be in bed, little bird." 

Ashlynn nodded, eyes eyes fluttering shut due to her pure physical exhaustion. And somehow, despite her resolve to avoid sleep while the prince stood in the room, she found her mind slipping into unconsciousness as he placed her on the bed.

The last thing she heard before she feel into the black abyss yawning before her was the princes gentle voice: "Sleep well, little bird."


	6. The Book And The Garden

Chapter Six - The Book And The Garden

When Ashlynn woke the next morning, it was to the elder servant bringing in a large tray for breakfast. When she noticed her stirring, she smirked and it was almost enough to make Ashlynn refuse to eat once again merely on principle. Although she was aged and worn like a mother, that was as far as the resemblance seemed to go.

"We all heard about the Prince Thor's visit to your chambers." She said. "Have you finally accepted your purpose here?" 

Ashlynn didn't bother to answer. 

The old crone finally shook her head and let it go. "He's sent you something. He must like you better than I do. It's on the tray. Someone will be in with new dresses and gowns for you in just a bit." 

Ashlynn nodded slightly, before stepping from her bed and going to the tray. Next to the usual array of fruits and meats and breads was a thick book with a well-worn spine. She couldn't take her eyes off it. The cover depicted a startling blue dragon flying over head, a small man painted on its shoulders. 

Even when a younger girl came into the room to help her bath and dress, she couldn't take her eyes away from the cover, and when she was finally alone, she folded herself into the window seat and began reading. 

It was a story that she had never read before, about a boy - nearly a man - who found a mysterious stone deep in the mountains while hunting. Sometime later a dragon, small and blue and no longer than his forearm, hatched from the stone, which was really an egg. When the evil king of the land found out about the boy and his dragon, he sends his servants, monsters, after them in the effort to capture them. Unfortunately, the boys Uncle dies and therefore causing the boy and dragon to flee from their home town and search out a mysterious group which is seat out to bring the evil king to his knees.

She'd read well over half of it before a servant arrived with a second tray. She read while she ate, taking advantage of the fact that there was no one there to ridicule her for reading, though she was exceedingly careful not to drop anything on to the pages. The book was obviously treasured.

Once again, she lost herself in the world of the book, and didn't even look up when someone brought in a third tray. The boy had reached the group of rebels and they were all preparing for war. Amour was made, fitted and donned, and than the war began. Men and monsters died both and then the climax of the reached it's peak and the boy destroyed his enemy, but not without a sacrifice of his own. The book ended with the small war won, but a larger battle looming in the horizon. 

Smiling widely, Ashlynn closed the book and allowed her eyes to focus on distant items in the distance, lessening the strain that she had put them through. Minutes past, and Ashlynn finally found herself unfolding from the window, stretching sore and knotted muscles as she moved. It was only then that she realized that she was not alone. 

Prince Thor stood at the table near the tray holding her dinner, hands clasped behind his back. He was watching her, though she could not tell if his eyes held amusement or impatience. 

Ashlynn nodded her head as acknowledgement of his presence and bobbed a quick curtsy. "I'm sorry, my lord." She said smoothly. "I didn't know that you were here. I didn't . . . I didn't make you wait long, did I?"

Thor smiled. "I'm a Prince, little bird." He said with a smile as he indicated that, as before, she was to take a seat across from him. "No one makes me do anything that I do not wish to. I enjoyed watching you read. You show all your emotions on your face. It gives me some small insight as to what you are thinking." He paused, watching Ashlynn's face closely. "Did you like the book?" 

"I did, my lord." Ashlynn answered honestly. It was not often that she had been able to discuss a book with anybody. "It was amazing, what with the thought of dragons and elves and dwarfs, but it ended so abruptly, almost as if the author was unsure of where he needed to take the story. I think that the only part I didn't care for was the war at the end. I don't care for unnecessary violence, and the thought of a war, a true war, puts me ill at ease." 

"Gentle heart." The Princes voice was quiet, as though perhaps he had been talking to himself, but his hands came forward to grip her own, swallowing them up in his warm touch. "You read quickly, to have finished that book so quickly. Or did you only skim the pages?" 

"Of course not, my lord!" Ashlynn responded immediately, slightly insulted that he would think so. "I had to learn how to read very quickly at home. Reading was not . . . approved of, so I was only able to do so in secret. When my uncle caught me reading instead of doing something more profitable for him, I would catch a beating." 

"The more I learn about your home, the more miraculous you become." The Prince mused. "You could so easily have become another cheap, dull wench from the village, yet here you are."

Ashlynn opened her mouth to protest, to insist that she was nothing at all, but, remembering his outburst the night before, she held her tongue. "You . . . flatter me greatly, my lord." 

"You are my guest. It sounds absurd for you to address me so formally all the time." Thor took a large bite from a leg of chicken, then wiped his mouth with a napkin and sat back in his chair. "You may call me Thor, if you wish. After all, we will become intimate, and what do you expect to call me in the throes of passion. Sire? My lord? They are perfectly acceptable, little bird, but they are a bit of a mouthful." His smile held traces of his trademark warmth now, and Ashlynn felt her cheeks burn hot, surely a brilliant crimson. 

"Thor." It felt strange on her tongue; foreign. She stole a glance at the Prince to see if he had reacted, and saw that he was smirking. "It will take some getting used to, my lo- Thor."

"'My Thor', she says." He teased lightly, the smirk expanding into a wide smile. "I have to admit that I like the sound of that." 

"I would . . . prefer . . . that we wold take things slowly, my lor- Thor." Ashlynn stuttered, uncomfortable.

He laughed then, loud and long and genuine, but finally he nodded his agreement. Ashlynn couldn't help but smile at his laughter, but soon busied herself with eating answering his questions about her family and village and childhood. 

On the rare occasions when she summoned enough courage to ask him questions in return, the Prince was open and shared more than she had asked, or even had the right to expect.

When she had accidentally let it slip that she grew restless, being cooped up in a single room all day and all night, instead of getting angry as he could have - as he should have - done, he leap to his feet and pulled her to the bed chambers doors. 

"Come, my lady. I will take you on a tour of your new home. I would have done so last night, but I feared that you were too weak, too tired for such a journey." 

The palace seemed even larger than she remembered. It was a good thing that the servants had been locking the doors, otherwise she would have gotten hopelessly lost and never found her way to an exit. The Prince seemed to understand her forbidding, and did not release his grip of her hand, even when servants passed by and began to whisper. If anything, she could feel his grip tighten during those interactions. It was surprisingly reassuring and allowed Ashlynn to walk past them with her head held high, as he did. 

As the moon began to rise, the Prince led Ashlynn to the gardens and as soon as the cold night air kissed her skin she felt like crying with happiness. All around her was the heady perfume of the night flowers blooming in the moonlight, the frozen enchanted breeze that kissed her skin and lifted her hair from the back of her neck. Small lights twinkled in the tops of trees and in the flowerbeds and after a moment, Ashlynn realized that the lights were small flying insects. 

It had yet to snow, despite the cold, but Ashlynn thought that she could smell the scent of it on the wind. 

Smiling, Ashlynn turned to look at Thor and saw that he was standing in the shadow of one of the trees, his expression thoughtful as he crossed his arms in front of him. Maybe it was the night intoxicating her senses, or the lights that caught his hair and made it seem like spun gold, or the small smile that played across his lips, but Ashlynn approached him silently and, before she could loose her nerve, carefully wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him in thanks. In that moment, she realized just how much shorter than the Prince that she truly was, her head barely reaching his chest. She felt no taller than a child next to him.

His reaction was anything but calm and even. Instead, his arms wrapped tightly around her and he backed her small frame into the trunk of a tall tree. It was only a moment later when his mouth lowered to hers, a deep kiss, probing expertly. Expectantly. 

He seemed to be satisfied that Ashlynn was securely pressed between the solid trunk and his own body, and his hands began to roam her body. She squirmed ticklishly when he caressed the valley of her waist before moving to grip her hips, but she managed to avoid laughing into his mouth. His hands then moved back up to cup her breasts through the bodice of her gown, causing her still swollen and sore nipples to protest painfully. The feeling of his hands on her body was new and, frankly, intimidating, but she forced her body to not freeze under his touch as she had before. Instead, she pressed forward slightly, against him and his hands.

It was the sound of someone clearing their throat softly behind Thor that saved Ashlynn from any further nerves. Even as Ashlynn sighed in relief, Thor growled in frustration, and the sound resonated throughout her entire body. He pulled away to give the visitor a level glare, then seemed to deflate slightly when he realized that the intruder was his mother. 

Unknowing what else to do, Ashlynn quickly ducked behind the Prince, hoping that the Queen would not notice her. Thor smirked at her action, but said nothing.

"Hello, child." To Ashlynn, it sounded as though she were smiling, but she could not be certain. She wondered weather she should apologize to the Queen for such behavior or defer to the Prince. Meanwhile, Thor stood before his mother, carefree and unabashed, so perhaps they would not be reprimanded. "Are you enjoying my gardens?" 

Ashlynn peaked from behind the Prince, her eyes wide as she dipped into a shaking curtsy. She wasn't sure, but she though that she had seen a slight smile on the Queen's lips. "I am. It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like it." She stuttered, her voice high as a singing bird.

"I am glad." The Queen said, still smiling, and Ashlynn felt her body start to relax. She remained behind the Prince, of course, and she did not look at her, but her heard rate gradually returned to a resemblance of normal. 

"Child." The Queen said, addressing Ashlynn once again. "Do not allow my son to keep you in this chill for too long. A lady needs her rest."

"Yes, your Majesty." Ashlynn managed, dipping into another curtsy, despite the fact she was fairly sure that the Queen could not see her around the Prince. "Thank you for your kindness." 

Although she was not looking, she could all but feel the look that past between the Prince and his mother, and then, with a great twirling of her skirts, she swept away. Thor turned back to Ashlynn with a grin and pressed his lips to the base of her throat where her pulse still thrummed. "You're heart is racing, little bird. Do you fear my mother so?"

"She is the Queen." Ashlynn answered the only way she knew how. Was the answer not obvious? 

"She is your host as well." 

"Is she as kind to all of your ladies?" Ashlynn had heard of her kindness, of course, but it seemed to her that the Queen would have better things to do than inquire after the rest and well being of a palace whore.

Thor pulled away and looked down at Ashlynn through soul searching eyes. "You've mentioned other ladies before. Just how many others do you presume I keep?"

Ashlynn shook her head, fighting to find the proper words. "I've meant no offense, my lord. I just . . . I though . . . Wasn't the ball not meant for selecting several, ah, companions for both yourself and your brother Loki?" Ashlynn could feel her face heating, a sure sign that she was once again blushing before the Prince.

"Do you truly think that I would take many, or even more than one? Do you think I have the patience to wait for other women to warm their hearts towards me?" Thor smiled gently, although his words were slightly sharp. 

"I am sorry, m'lord, but I thought . . . there were so many other girls in attendance who were willing . . . who . . . would not make you wait so." Ashlynn's voice grew softer as she struggled to avoid further angering him. 

"It was never my intention to take a woman that night. It was for the benefit of my brother, Loki, rather than myself, but then you came forward, from all the other girls, dressed so prettily in my colors. And when they laughed you stopped them with only a glance! You were fierce, and bold, much like lightning." The Princes hands came forward, softly cupping her cheek as his thumb ran across her lips. "Besides, I thought I asked you to cease calling me 'my lord'."

"Yes, Thor." Ashlynn could not tear her eyes from his face. "I am sorry. I did not mean to offend you so." 

"You've not offended me, little bird." But he was smiling again, and Ashlynn gathered the nerve to tilt her head forward slightly and rest her cheek against his chest. Despite her resolve to leave the Palace the moment an opportunity presented itself, she could not deny his charms. His hands cupped her cheeks and he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "Come. My mother will be ill pleased if I keep you out all night." 

He took her hand in his and led her back into the palace and then to her bedchambers, although he made no move to enter. Instead, he lifted her hand to his mouth and allowed his breath to ghost over her knuckles. "Goodnight, my lady. I may return tomorrow, if my duties permit. If not, Perhaps we will meet in your dreams tonight." 

And, strangely enough, she did dream of the Prince, if only to have him at the edges, un-moving, only watching. 

Ashlynn as a young girl living as a farmer with her parents in the valley between two mounts. The village stared at them strangely and called them strange. She was Ashlynn, sometimes called Ash - the name her mother crooned while combing her hair.

Standing on the hill over her grave of her mother - no, not her mother. Her aunt. Just as her father was truly her uncle. Weeping that the fever had not killed her as well. Then turning and stumbling blindly away into the forest, her only defense a weak bow slung over her shoulder.

How her uncle looked when he first saw Ashlynn laying near death next to the stream. She would allow no one to call her Ash again. The days it had taken Ashlynn to recover and the fear she felt upon discovering that her rescuer was twice as dangerous as the forest.

The days spent laboring, enduring the scorching sun, working hard over a field, always alert for any meat to be caught for food. How she slowly grew, her looks improved, giving her pride and confidence. The realization that her Uncle looked at her just as the boys in the village looked at her. Hiding in her room, while her uncle raged beyond the door, screaming her name, demanding that she allow him to enter.

Ashlynn remembered it all, and next to her, Thor did as well.


	7. A Winter Festival

Chapter Seven - A Winter Festival

No one arrived the next morning with clothes or breakfast, but it hardly mattered. Ashlynn bathed on her own and though she struggled with the content of her dream, the hot water in the tub relaxed and cleansed her mind. Only days before she never would have allowed herself to relax so, but in the privacy of the bathroom, she was able to admit that the Prince's intentions seemed . . . not honorable, but not as terribly as she might have allowed herself to imagine.

When she re-entered her bed chambers, it was not the young kitchen girl who greeted her, but the older woman. She indicated a silver silken tunic and trousers laid out on her bed. "No gown for the lady beast today." She said, and Ashlynn fought her reaction to roll her eyes. "The prince wishes to take you riding, so eat quickly and then dress before he gets here. he doesn't care to wait, you know." 

Ashlynn nodded, carefully working her hair into a single thick braid to keep it from getting in the way while riding, and then ate quickly. She'd never been riding before due to her uncle's careful control of the two horses on the farm. The cloths were accompanied by a thick, fur lined cloak that seemed like it belong to someone three times her size. 

She had only just finished getting ready, when someone rapped lightly on the bed chambers door and then entered. Ashlynn was less than surprised to see the prince walk through the doors, groomed and well dressed, but looking exhausted - not to mention incredibly wounded. Barely-healed scrapes and cuts marred the tanned skin of his face, and a dark bruise peeked out from the collar of his cloak. Ashlynn stood frozen. Part of her wanted to go to the Prince and study the wounds on his face, but she was still unsure of him.

Thor noticed her stares and offered a smile that, although small, lit up his eyes brightly. "This is nothing. A fight between my brother and I. It is not often that one or the other is with marks of our sparring." He rubbed his hands together briskly. "Are you ready? Our horses are being prepared in the stables, and the festival will not last all day." 

The prince took her hand, much noticeably smaller than his own, and led her through the palace and onto the grounds. Ashlynn soon found herself standing next to two beautiful, extremely large, horses. Both were a startling virgin snow white, their shoulders easily nineteen hands high. Thor swung into his saddle with ease, leaving Ashlynn to stand next to her own beast awkwardly. 

In theory, she knew that it was meant to be easy to get onto the saddle - one had only to lift a foot into the stirrup and then swing the other leg over the back of the beast. She had seen it done countless times in the village during her stay there, but the horses had never been so tall as the one standing before her now, nor had they been quite so close. She did not have to look to the prince to know that he was looking at her with a mixture of amusement and impatience. Her face began to burn as she struggled her left foot into the closest stirrup. 

The horse gave an indignant snort and began to shuffle away from her, throwing her off balance which resulted with her landing in the dust of the stables, her face blazing. 

"I've never ridden." Ashlynn admitted, more as an offering to the horse than an explanation to the prince. 

"We never would have known." A wiry voice stated from her side, and Ashlynn looked up to see a man standing above her, blond as the prince but not quite as fair. The man smiled widely, then thrust his hand forward, carefully helping her to her feet. "I'm sure that Thor didn't realize that this horse would be much to large for a lady of your . . . height." 

Ashlynn nodded slowly, despite the fact she felt as he had meant to say something else, but changed his mind at the last moment. It made her want to disprove the man of any preconceived notions he might have about her. 

"I am Fandral. The dwarf to my left is Volstagg and this quiet man is Hogun." The golden one said as he took the horses reins and led the beast past her. Sanding quickly, Ashlynn followed. "It's true that most children learn to tack up and ride a horse before they come into adulthood, but what's the point of being royalty if you don't have servants to do the boring work for you?" He flashed another grin, but Ashlynn just crossed her arms. 

"I'm not royal." Ashlynn said, electing a small grin from the prince, while he sat otherwise silently. It was irksome, the way so many people seem to think they knew her status when they knew nothing about her. 

"You are betrothed to Prince Thor, are you not?" Volstagg asked, a glint in his eyes that belayed his humor. He was teasing her. Ashlynn uncrossed her arms and let them drop to her sides. Her hands, left with nothing else t do, curled into fists. "No. We are not betrothed. We are not . . . anything." 

"Very well, my lady." Volstagg said with a hit of a bow and a smirk on his face. "But I would think that if a man picked me out of a room packed with beautiful women and brought me to a palace, I would think that meant something." He watched as Fandral patted the horse's neck, and it swung its head around to nudge him in the shoulder. 

"Think what you like." She answered, and took an uneasy step towards the horse once again. "But you all are as betrothed to Thor as I am." 

"Well, that's just a shame, my lady, because we'd all look absolutely ridiculous in a wedding gown." The one called Hogun said with a small grin, causing Ashlynn to giggle softly. "You're horse's name is Bergljot, by the by. You may want to introduce yourself if you plan on attempting to ride her again." 

Ashlynn watched the horse with weary eyes then nodded. "Hallo, Bergljot." She said, reaching out to place her hand on its nose. The horse snorted and tossed it's head to get out of Fandral's grasp, shuffling its feet as though itching to run away. "Well, that's promising." Ashlynn muttered.

Drawing in a deep breath to steady her nerves, Ashlynn shouldered Fandral out of the way and lifted her foot high into the stirrup. She was grateful for the trousers that had been brought to her room, because the action would have been impossible in one of the dresses. Just as she hoisted herself into the air for the first time, Luna snorted again and took a step away from her, causing her to land painfully in the dirt once again. 

Cursing under her breath, Ashlynn rolled to her feet and attempted to mount the horse once again. This time, the horse did not move as much, and she was able to swing her other leg around to straddle the beast. 

"I did it!" The exhilaration was unexpected and, with a wide grin, Ashlynn looked toward the prince, who beamed back at her, though it was clear he was trying not to laugh.

"Well done, my lady. Would you like to begin our ride, now?" Thor asked, his voice just as loud as the thunder he was well known for.

"I, uh . . ." Ashlynn grimaced. "I'm not sure if that's the best idea, sir." 

"I will not allow you to fall, my lady." The prince laughed. After a few moments of gentle coaxing, and a happy farewell to his friends, he ordered the two horses into a swift trot. He kept once eye on her as they rode, smirking at the way that Ashlynn would not relax her grip on the horse's mane. 

The feeling of the horse's muscles rippling beneath her was strange, but the speed at which they rode made her laugh with excitement, despite she worries that she would fall at any moment. Next to her, Thor smiled as he watched her hair billow out behind her like a dark cloud. "You are riding, my lady." Thor shouted, wanting to be heard over the noise of the two horses running. "How does it suit you?" 

Ashlynn smiled, allowing her hands to release themselves from the horses mane and stretch out toward her sides. "This is brilliant!" She found herself laughed, even as she was jostled and she quickly leaned forward to avoid falling from the horse. 

Thor smiled, glad that his lady was enjoying herself. He could feel it, her joy, like the thrumming heart of a excited animal. Her already-pale skin blanched from the cold wind brushing against her face, making her look like a wraith framed by her rich red-brown hair. Delicate. It made her seem more vulnerable, easier to approach. Or maybe that was just because she was so slight. He imagined he could tuck her head under his chin and fit her whole body in a spare fold of his cloak. Perfect. She'd need some guidance on attire - replace the conman clothes she seemed to prefer, add a few bits of jewelry. 

"Prince Thor, are you alright?" Ashlynn's voice broke through the silence of the ride.

Thor shook himself mentally, then smiled. "Of course. I was merely thinking of the future." 

A half hour later Ashlynn found herself still ridding atop the horse, feeling more apprehensive with each jolt. Thinking about the princes comment didn't make matters any better. 'What had he meant by that? Surely it was not a comment directed towards herself.' She didn't want to have a future with the prince. She wanted to escape and go home.

"Lady Ashlynn? We've arrived." Thor said softly, looking so worried that it was hard to remember that he was a prince. He reached out as if he'd embrace her. "Lady Ashlynn?"

She side stepped the horse easily.

"I'm glad that you came." Thor looked terribly serious.

At a loss for what to say, she shrugged.

"Shall we?" He asked, leaping down from his horse before holding out his arm, like they were going to a royal ball. 

"Yes." She ignored his arm - and his brief frown - and slid down from her horse, stumbling slightly as she landed on the ground. She noticed, for the first time, the festival that seemed to be taking place at the edge of a forest. Ashlynn followed the price toward the maze of booths that seemingly sprung into existent magically.

People milled around, an impossibly large crowd. Families and couples played games on every side. Many of them had a sweet-smelling drink - a sort of golden wine that smelled of thunderstorms and summer. 

"You're just so . . ." Thor stared at her, smiling a nearly impossible smile. "I'm just so honored that you joined me." 

Ashlynn nodded, like he made sense. He didn't. This is ridiculous. His too-eager comments made her feel increasingly uncomfortable.

Beside her, a group of girls tried to throw a tiny wooden ball into a woven net. Overhead the lights of many lanterns sparkled. People laughed and huddled close to one another as they walked by. 

Then Thor took her hand, and suddenly her situation was so clear that she gasped. Everywhere she looked, people stared. The traders running the booths, the food stalls, the games. All those working and quiet a few of the guests. She'd never been the focal point of such a large crowd before.

Everywhere she looked, unfamiliar faces smiled back at her, friendly and happy.

'Why is so many people happy so see me?'

Some, the ones who seemed unaware of the prince's presence, played games and sampled food from stalls, but the others didn't seem to watch them. She was the one they all watched. 

Thor waved to a group of men, the same men who Ashlynn had seen at the palace stables, who had called out to him. "Old friends. Would you like to meet them in earnest?" 

"No." She bit down on her lip and looked around again, feeling her chest tighten.

He frowned.

"Not right now." She forced a smile, hoping he would think that her nervousness was nothing more than shyness. "Please. Everyone is . . . staring at us." 

"Of course they are. They know who you are!" Thor laughed, the sound like two stones crashing against one another. He smiled like she'd just given him some rare and precious gift.

"And who am I?" Ashlynn stumbled, feet as unsteady as her breathing. 

"You are the only woman at the ball who caught my attention. You, a simple farmer girl who turned out to be so much more. Who knew how to read, yet not how to ride a horse until this day. Who has the presence of a queen and the temperament of a barmaid." Thor took her hand, squeezing it affectionately, and intertwined his fingers with hers. "I'm sure that they wonder who you are, to keep my attention so fastly." 

"I'm not much of anything, really." Ashlynn swallowed hard. 

"You are though." Thor stopped, holding her hand while they stood there, surrounded by people who, by nature, were eavesdropping. 

If she had been one of the lady's of the palace maybe, or even one of the swooning ladies who would have gladly taken her place, it might seem so very normal. It wasn't.

She started to walk away, going toward on of the stands where they were selling those strange smelling drinks.

"Ashlynn?" 

She shrugged, more comfortable talking about a world that she knew nothing of than of a relationship she was expected to submit to. "I've never been to a winter festival, but if I ever had to imagine one, it would be like this. Is that what this is?" 

"It is." He reached up with his free hand and stoked her cheek."I'm glad that you seem to enjoy it." 

She started to respond, but headed toward them was Joed and 'bout six of his drinking fimilars, all of who had spent her childhood harassing her, chasing her away from her own home with their very presence. She froze, unable to move, years of instinct overriding logic. 

"Ashlynn? What's wrong?" He moved in front of her, blocking her view of everyone and everything but him. "Have I offended you in someway?"

"No! I'm just-" She started, but was quickly cut off by a surprised, yet harsh voice.

"So, he did choose you to be his whore." Joed said with a smirk, nudging his closest mate along the ribs. "Look there, boys! I told you that she would spread her legs quick enough once she realized who would be bedding her."

Ashlynn forced herself to stare passively at her uncle and his friends as the words stung her like stinging nettles. 

Thor, on the other hand, quickly grew livid, realizing her distress. "Please, good sir, repeat yourself so that I may understand you." Thor bid, his face a fabrication of humor.

"Tell me, Price, is she as easy as we had hoped?" One of the friends asked, his face drunkenly animated, a wide smile showing his perfectly white teeth.. "We've all tried to have a piece, but she's always been a fast one. I bet she's as ti-" 

His words were cut off by Thor's fist connecting with his jaw. Ashlynn saw the blood, heard the crunching of bone beneath his knuckles, and knew that the man's teeth, his one saving grace, had been destroyed. Thor did not stop though. His next punch was aimed at her uncle but, as the cowered he was, he ducked and pushed his friend between himself and the prince's wraith. 

"Stop!" Ashlynn screamed, surprising even herself.

Thor paused, only long enough for her uncle to collect himself and grip his friends before running. They were well down the street before Ashlynn spoke again. "They're not worth it. It was only words - one's that I've heard a thousand times before, and if I do not allow them to bother me, then why should you, my lord?"

Thor seemed startled by her statement, but the fury slowly faded from his eyes. "You are sure?"

Ashlynn nodded. "I'm sure. Please, just . . . leave it be." 

Thor seemed unsure for a moment, before nodding and standing tall. "Come, there are many things that I wish to show you, and we will see none of them by standing here." 

Behind them a woman stood on a small stand calling, "Three balls for a prize." 

A thick braid dangled like a rope past her knees. Her face was like one of the Valkyrie in the old paintings, innocent with a spark of danger in her eyes. Aside from the strange markings that covered her skin, she was gorgeous, but no one approached her. 

At the next stand a steady line of commoners waited. Ashlynn paused, overwhelmed by the sheer number of people around her.

"The fortune-tellers here always put on a good show." Thor pulled the flap of the tent back farther so she could look inside. There were three women with rheumy white eyes. Behind them stood a row of statues - like gargoyles without wings. They were strangely muscular, more so than the prince next to her. And alive. Their gazes flitted around the tent, as if they were trying to find someone to answer unspoken questions.

The people all stepped aside, and Thor led her to the front of the tent.

She stepped closer to one of the statues. It looked wide-eyed, almost afraid as she reached out her hand.

One of the women reached out and snatched Ashlynn's still uplifted hand. "No." 

The women spoke all at once, not to her or to Thor, but softly - as if to themselves - in a sibilant whisper. "He is ours. Fair exchange. Not yours to interfere." 

"I- I'm sorry. I wasn't -" Ashlynn stuttered.

The one gripping her hand winked at Ashlynn. "Well, then, sisters, what say we?"

Ashlynn tugged backwards, yet the woman held tight.

"So you're the young one's," The fortune teller looked at Thor with her seemingly blind eyes. "new ladylove." 

Behind them, commoners pushed closer, scuffling and chattering. 

The old woman gave Thor a searing look - her white eyes shining - and said. "She's different than the others, God of Thunder. And the first that you've brought before our eyes." 

"I already knew that, mothers." Thor wrapped an arm around Ashlynn's waist, half hugging her, like he had a right to pull her closer.

'He doesn't.' Ashlynn thought.

Ashlynn slipped as far away as she could with the woman holding her hand.

All three woman sighed, simultaneously. "Fierce, isn't she?"

The one still holding Ashlynn's hand asked Thor. "Shall I tell you just how different she is? How special this one will be?"

Every commoner there suddenly stopped talking. They were all watching openly, transfixed and gleeful.

"No." Ashlynn pulled her hand free, eyes wide, and grabbed Thor's arm.

He didn't move.

"As special as I've hoped?" Thor asked the blind women, his voice carrying clearly to the commoners who pushed forward.

"There are none you will meet so rare as she. She will be the half to your whole." The three women all nodded, eerily in sync with one another, like three bodies with one mind.

Grinning, Thor tossed a handful of unfamiliar golden coins to the women, who unerringly snatched them out of the air, their hands moving in precisely the same arcs at exactly the same time.

'I have to leave. Now. I have to escape.'

But she couldn't run. Not with the prince only a few short steps to her left. She couldn't panic. Her heart still beat madly. Her chest felt tight, like she couldn't breath. She wanted nothing more than to leave, to escape the tent and the strange women who seemed to see a fate for her that she did not wish. 

She stepped away from the women and pulled on Thor's arm. "Let's get a drink. Please." 

Thor smiled as he pulled her closer to him and went with her to the door, past the crowd of murmuring commoners, all staring at her closely, with a slight amount of awe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I hope that every one is enjoying the story so far. I know I'm enjoying writing it! I would love to get some feedback on what everyone thinks about it, but on a slightly harder note, I may not be able to upload the chapters every Friday as i previously hoped on. I was recently admitted to the ER for chronic back pain and numb-ness of my legs and I've found out that I have several vertebra in my spine that are broken and they've crushed a few nerves and such. At the moment the doctors are not sure if I'm going to have to have surgery to fix my spine, but until then, everything is on the up and up. Until then I'm not going to be changing my uploading schedule, but if the surgery becomes a real thing, then chances are the story will be put on hiatus until my recovery. I hope that everyone doesn't abandon my story due to this, because I know I'm not! Love and hugs ~ QueenCrimson


	8. A Dance To Remember

Chapter Eight - A Dance To Remember

As the evening wore on, Lords and Ladies he hadn't seen in years arrived at the Festival, drawn by the news that he had finally, after so many years, found her. Emissaries from the other courts came, some for the first time in centuries.

"My Prince." One of the guards from the Palace came toward him and bowed.

Thor shook his head. He spun Ashlynn in a loose embrace, far from graceful, but effective nonetheless. Her skin seemed to glimmer faintly in the dark, the power of her changing body already filling her.

"What?" Ashlynn started staring up at Thor, eyes wide, lips parted as if she waited for a kiss. 

'Too soon for that.' But he did move closer to her, holding her in his arms as if they were at a ball. 'And we shall have one, show her the splendor of my court. As soon as she ascends to my throne.'

Glancing past Ashlynn's shoulder to where the guard had stopped, Thor said, "I don't want anything to spoil tonight. Should the worlds end tonight, I wouldn't want to know." 

And it was true. He had his queen in his arms; after centuries of searching, she was finally in his arms. The Norns had all but said it.

He tilted her head up and whispered, "Dance with me." 

She shook her head, something very close to fear in her eyes. "There's no room, no music." 

He spun her, wishing she had on proper skirts, missing the sway of silk and rustle of petticoats. "Of course there is."

No one strayed into their path. No one jostled them. Instead the crowd moved around them, parting to clear a space so he could have his dance with her, his queen.

At the very edge of the woods, he twirled her in a careful circle. "Can you truly not hear the music?" He led her past a crowd of Festival goers, who were joining the dance with wide smiles upon their face. Several of the young commoners had begun to swirl in place, waif-thin dervishes of blurring skirts and hair.

With one hand on the small of Ashlynn's back and the other holding her tiny hand, he led her though the swirling crowd of commoners. Mouth against her ear, he sing-songed. "Laughter, the sound of wind against the already dead leaves, the hum of voices. Can't you hear it, little bird? Just listen."

"I want to leave." Her hair flung across his face as he spun her away and back, closer still this time. She sounded terrified when she said, "Let go. Please." 

He stopped. "Dance with me, Ashlynn. I hear enough music for the both of us." 

"Why?" She was still and stiff in his arms, looking around them, staring into the faces that surrounded them. "Tell me why. What do you want?" 

"You. I've spent my life waiting for you." He paused, looking at the joy on the faces of his people, those who'd suffered but still believed in times of peace and happiness. "Give me this dance, this night. If it's in my power, I'll give you whatever you ask in return." 

 

"Whatever I ask?" She repeated incredulously. After all the worries, the panic, he was offering her an out in exchange for a simple dance.

'Could it be that easy?' One dance and she could leave, get out of the royal land of Asgard, away from the prince. But if there was truth in any of the old stories, royalty only offered exchanges that would benefit them.

"Give me your vow." She stepped several paces back so she could look him in the eye - an impossible task from up close. 

He smiled an earthshaking smile, and her words caught in her throat.

She shivered, but she didn't back down.

"Swear it in front of all these witnesses." She gestured at the waiting crowd. They were mostly commoners, but a few lords and ladies stood by watching, gasping and murmuring at her words.

". . . getting a prince's vow." 

"She's a clever one." 

"Will he?" 

"She'll make a wonderful queen one day."

Then Thor raised his voice so everyone could hear him, "In front of all before us, I give you my word of honor, Ashlynn: anything you ask of me that I can offer is yours." He dropped to one knee and added, "And from this day forward, your wishes shall be as my own as often as I am able." 

The lords and ladies murmurs rose, tumbling together, like discordant songs.

Still kneeling, Thor bowed his head to her, hand outstretched. His eyes twinkled dangerously as he looked up and asked, "Will you dance with me now? Just take my hand, Ashlynn." 

All she had to do was dance with him - join him in his revelry for this one night - and she could ask him to leave her alone, allow her to leave and never return. It was a small price for such a large reward.

"I will." She slipped her hand into his, almost giddy with relief. Soon it would all be over. 

The crowd cheered and laughed, raising such a din that she couldn't help but to laugh as well, her voice as high and thrilling as a singing morning bird. Maybe they weren't cheering for the same reason, but it didn't matter: they echoed her rejoicing.

A smiling girl with brilliant white hair held out wooden mugs filled with the strange golden drink that most everyone seemed to be drinking. "A drink to celebrate." 

Ashlynn took one and sipped. It was amazing, a heady mix of things that shouldn't have a flavor - bottled lightning and rain during a storm, lazy afternoons spent by a fire and melting sunsets, hot breezes and dangerous promises. She downed it all.

Thor took the cup from her hand. "May I have my dance?"

She licked the last taste from her lips - like thunder - and smiled. She was strangely unsteady on her feet. "With pleasure." 

Then he led her through the crowd, spinning her in dances old and new, from a sophisticated waltz to a less practiced dance without any choreography at all.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that something was wrong, but as he twirled her though the dance, she couldn't remember what it was. They laughed, they drank, and danced until Ashlynn no longer cared why she'd been worried in the first place.

Finally she put her hand on Thor's wrist and gasped, "Enough. I need to stop." 

He scooped her into his arms and, hold her aloft, sat back on a tall chair carved of dark wood and bright metals. "Never stop. Only pause." 

'Where did the chair come from?' All around them, lords and ladies danced and laughed.

'I should go.' The commoners had all gone home. Even the most rigid of the upper class danced. Groups of Ladies spun by, swirling to fast to make out their individual movements. 

"I would like a drink." Sitting on his lap, Ashlynn leaned her head on Thor's shoulder, breathing hard. The more she tried to make sense of her flashes of unease, the less clear they were.

"More wine!" Thor called, laughing as several young girls tumbled over themselves to bring tall goblets to them as she sat in his lap. "My lady wants wine, and wine she shall have."

She took hold of one of the goblets, spinning it in her hand. The colors in the wine spiraled and shifted like a tiny electrical current inside the cup. "Where did all the wooden mugs go?" 

He kissed her hair and laughed. "Beautiful things for a beautiful lady." 

Ashlynn shrugged, rolling her eyes merrily, ad took another long drink. 

With an arm securely around her waist and a hand between her shoulder blades, Thor dipped her backward. "Once more around the festival?"

Her hair fell onto the frost hardened grass as she looked up at him - the thunderous prince who held her in his arms - and wondered that she was having so much fun. 

He swung her back up and whispered. "Dance with me, Ashlynn, my little bird." 

Her legs ached, her head spun. She hadn't had so much fun since . . . never. "Definitely." 

On every side lords and ladies laughed - dancing in ways that were graceful, wild, and sometimes shocking. Earlier they'd seemed sedate, but as the night wore on, it had changed. 

Thor swung her up into his embrace and kissed her neck. "I could spend eternity doing this." 

"No -" Ashlynn pushed him away. "No, no, no kissing." 

Then they were moving again. The world spun by, a blur of new faces lost in a cloud of music. The sawdust covered paths of the festival were hidden under shadows; the lights of the stalls were darkened. 

But dawn was coming, light spilling out over the sky. 'How long have we danced?'

And then she was spinning by herself, arms raised above her head, hips swaying slowly as she began to hum along with the music running though her head. Or perhaps it was truly playing. 

"Give me love like her,  
'Cause lately I've been waking up alone,  
Splattered teardrops on my shirt,  
Told you I'd let them go." 

She spun further into the crowd, her voice raising above the din, drawing attention. 

She didn't mind.

"And that I'll fight my corner,  
Maybe tonight I'll call you.  
After my blood turns into alcohol,  
No, I just wanna hold you."

Thor was following her closely, his eyes wide and filled with an emotion that she couldn't quite place.

"Give a little time to me or burn this out,  
We'll play hide and seek to turn this around,  
All I want is the taste that your lips allow,  
My, my, my, my, oh give me love,  
My, my, my, my, oh give me love,  
My, my, my, my, oh give me love,  
My, my, my, my, oh give me love,  
My, my, my, my, give me love."

Her hand was caught and she was no longer spinning on her own. Instead, she was twirling with the prince, her head resting on his chest as she continued to sing.

"Give me love like never before,  
'Cause lately I've been craving more,  
And it's been a while but I still feel the same,  
Maybe I should let you go,

You know I'll fight my corner,  
And that tonight I'll call you,  
After my blood is drowning in alcohol,  
No, I just wanna hold you.

Give a little time to me or burn this out,  
We'll play hide and seek to turn this around,  
All I want is the taste that your lips allow,  
My, my, my, my, oh give me love."

The world was spinning and so was she, spinning into the darkness and the light that was battling along the edge of the forest.

"Give a little time to me or burn this out,  
We'll play hide and seek to turn this around,  
All I want is the taste that your lips allow,  
My, my, my, my, oh give me love,  
My, my, my, my, oh give me love,  
My, my, my, my, oh give me love,  
My, my, my, my, oh give me love,  
My, my, my, my, oh give me love."

Ashlynn felt her feet leave the ground. The world around her was spinning and it had nothing to do with the twirling of her dance. 

"I need to sit down. Please." 

"Anything my lady wants." Thor lifted her into his arms again. His doing so had stopped seeming strange several drinks ago.

One of the men with skin like polished oil pread out a blanket by the water. Another brought a large picnic basket. "Good marrow, my prince. My lady." 

Then, with a bow, they left. 

Thor opened the basket and fulled out another bottle of wine, as well as cheese and strange little fruit. "Out first breakfast." 

'Definitely not fastival food.' She giggled. Then she looked up - behind him the festival was gone. As if they'd never been there, all the people were gone. It was just the two of them. "Where did they all go?"

Thor held out the goblet again, filled with the same liquid storm. "It's just us here. Later, after you've rested, we'll talk. Then we can dance every night if you will it. Travel. It'll all be different now." 

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." He held a peice of fruit up to her lips. "Bite." 

Ashlynn leaned in - almost toppling over as she did - but she didn't bite the strange fruit. Instead she whispered, "What were the Norns talking about?" 

Thor lowered his hand. "What do you mean." 

"The Norns." She gestured around them, but she knew that they were gone, just as everyone else was. She closed her eyes to try to stop the world from spinning so madly and whipered. "You know, the Fates. They said that I was half of a whole. Or of your whole. We are whole." She giggled. 

"You've drunk to much, haven't you?" He murmured. His golden hair glittered in the light that was creeping over the sky. Despite the chill, Thor seemed to radiate enough heat to match a summer's day.

"I think so." She laid down on the ground, her voice soft as mist.

It sounded like he said, "If you remeber in the morn, I will answer all that you ask . . ." But she wasn't sure. Everything was blurry.

He bent over her where she lay on the ground. His lips brushed hers, tasting of thunder and lightning. His hair fell onto her face.

'It's soft.'

She meant to say stop, to tell him she was dizzy, but before she could speak, everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, another chapter done, and a plot is starting to develop! Yay! I'm happy to say that I've already got the next few chappies written and i think that you're all going to like them a lot. I hope. Well, it keeps me writing at least :) You can also find this story on my DeviantArt account under the username QueenCrimson1994. You'll also be able to find sketches of Ashlynn there as well! Well, you'll be able to find them soon. I've not gotten them posted yet, but I promise they are coming! I hope that everyone is enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying writing this! But that's all for now, my lovelies.


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